The possibility of the nation finding a solution to the crisis facing it through dialogue became remote after prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday trashed the idea of sitting across the table with Khaleda Zia.
The damper came when the nation, following appeals from the Nagarik Samaj, became optimistic about a national dialogue in search of a solution to the crisis with top leaders shedding their prejudices and hesitations.
The appeals from the Nagarik Samaj received widespread support for convening a dialogue to bring the nation out of the crippling crisis.
A wide spectrum of political parties hailed the Nagarik Samaj’s fervent appeals to resolve the crisis through dialogue as a wake up call for the top leaders of the nation.
On Wednesday evening, immediate past chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said that he was still optimistic that the dialogue would take place.
On Monday, he had, on behalf of the Nagarik Samaj, sent separate letters to prime minister Hasina and former prime minister Khaleda Zia to sit across the table to resolve the crisis.
He also appealed to the president to convene the national dialogue.
The political parties would, he hoped, reconsider their stand and sit across the table.
‘We are hopeful as there is no alternative to dialogue,’ Huda told New Age.
European Union Head of Delegation Pierre Mayaudon on Wednesday called for holding a dialogue to resolve the problems.
On the same day, British High Commissioner Robert Gibson urged upon all the parties to consider confidence-building measures in a bid to defuse the current tension in Bangladesh and stop violence.
Leaders of a wide spectrum of political parties described the appeals from the Nagarik Samaj as a wake up call that reflects exactly what the nation wants.
They told New Age that both the big parties should positively respond to the wake up call dropping any hesitations they might harbour.
Bikalpadhara Bangladesh president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury welcomed the calls for resolving the crisis facing the nation through dialogue.
He said that he had all the confidence that dialogue between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia could resolve the crisis.
Unless the political crisis was resolved soon the country would plunge into deeper crisis, said the former president of the Republic.
Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim, praised Nagarik Samaj for its timely call for resolving the current crisis.
The call reflects the people’s desire to resolve crisis immediately, Selim said.
‘We want an end to arson attacks first and at the same time a resolution to the political crisis politically, he said.
Krishok Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique praised the call and said that there was no alternative to holding a dialogue to resolve the crisis.
He said that from the sit down he began 14 days ago at Motijheel he would appeal to the people to raise the united voice for the resolution of the political crisis facing the nation.
The government’s negative response to the wake up call from the Nagarik Samaj is not at all acceptable said Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Khalequzzaman.
Ignoring the wake up call would only aggravate the crisis and isolate the government and the BNP led opposition from the people, Khalequzzaman said.
‘We want holding the dialogue with all the political parties and not only between Awami League and BNP,’ he added.
JSD president ASM Abdur Rob and general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan also praised the Nagarik Samaj for the call.
Gana Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury said that the call for holding dialogue received support from most of the people of Bangladesh.
Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of the Ganasanghati Andolan, said the nation was eagerly waiting for a solution to the current political crisis through dialogue.
He praised the Nagarik Samaj for its call and said the government could expect no positive results from its use of force.
The government should resolve the political crisis politically, he said.
Nagarik Samaj, a new platform of citizens, made the fervent appeal to convene a national dialogue for resolving the political crisis facing the nation.
Jatiya Party secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu said that his party chairman HM Ershad had given the call for holding national dialogue much earlier in letters to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and the leaders of other registered political parties.
He, however, declined to comment on Nagarik Samaj’s call.
Source: New Age
